Goodwin opposes suing state over charter school funding bill

Friday

Jul 28, 2017 at 6:56 PMJul 28, 2017 at 6:56 PM

Earle Kimel Staff Writer @earlekimel

VENICE — Sarasota County School Board member Jane Goodwin told members of the South County Tiger Bay Club that she did not want to see Sarasota County join with school districts in Broward and St. Lucie counties in mounting a legal challenge against a controversial charter school bill signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott last month.

Goodwin said that while the bill had both good and bad things in it — one major concern is how it affects the way the district distributes Title 1 money — she would prefer to work with the Florida Legislature to change things in the next session.

“I’d rather have a Democratic county sue than us, that’s just personal,” Goodwin said. “We’re all Republicans and so I would get the door slammed in my face."

Goodwin, who is running the legislative committee for the Florida School Board Association next year, said it would hurt her ability to assemble a statewide platform.

“My idea is this would be a mission going nowhere,” she added.

Her remarks, following a direct question by moderator Laura Benson, punctuated but did not overshadow the luncheon discussion.

Goodwin was part of a panel that included Kelly Caldwell, a member of the school district’s financial advisory board, and Ken Modzelewski, former CEO of the SKY Family YMCA, which operates SKY Academy charter schools in Venice and Englewood; who fielded questions about how the school district and charter schools work together.

But with the school board possibly set to discuss the lawsuit against HB 7069 — which allows charter schools to get a portion of school district construction money — when it next meets Aug. 1, the news prompted Argus Foundation executive director Christine Robinson to promptly tweet, “SRQ Co. School Board Member Jane Goodwin publicly says she is not in favor of suing over HB 7069 at So. Co. Tiger Bay Forum on education,” from the foundation’s twitter account, then retweet it from her personal one.

After the meeting, School Board member Eric Robinson, who attended the luncheon with his wife, said that likely means Sarasota County will stay away from the suit. Robinson said he would be surprised if School Board Vice Chair Bridget Ziegler voted to challenge the law, though, he added, the two have not discussed the matter.

Zielger, a charter school proponent, was appointed to the school board by Gov. Rick Scott in June 2014 to fill a seat vacated when Carol Todd resigned that April, then won the seat outright in a runoff election that November.

Sharing with charters

Most of the questions and discussion at the luncheon focused on the fact that the school district shared funding and resources with charter schools better than other districts.

Vickie Marble, principal of the Student Leadership Academy, stressed that, “this district did more for charter schools than any other district in Florida.”

The extra money that charter schools should receive through HB 7069 will make it easier for new schools to open and current schools to maintain existing facilities, Modzelewski said.

For the two SKY Academies, the YMCA had to put in a considerable up-front investment, and then spend money to keep the facilities in shape for the students.

“From our standpoint, we think it’s kind of fair that we get some of that money back to us,” he said. “You can build, renovate — fix our roofs or air conditioners — so it’s some extra tax dollars from the school system to fix charter schools.”

Goodwin noted that, while Sarasota County already shares 30 percent of its capital funds with charter schools, the new law would mean an equal split — as well as a working of a five-year capital improvement plan, “it will cost us around $10 million, so we’re redoing our capital plan right now.”

Goodwin went on to say that she would like to see a more open line of communication with between the district and charter schools — similar to conversations she frequently has with Marble.

“We need to try and help get the message out that charter schools are public schools and share more of the good news coming out,” said Goodwin, who added that she called charter school principals to thank them, once the state school district grades came out. “Really they helped our grade to be an A this year, a solid A.”

Caldwell, who spoke more as a parent than a financial advisory board member, noted that the charter school movement grew out of the desire for better tangible results.

“All of this is about putting the power back into the hands of the parent to choose, ‘get me a result,'” Caldwell said. “What is the result you want for your children, I have three boys in the school system, I want them to excel.”